Uber looking to hire 15,000 more LA-area drivers

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Amanda Ashley has been an Uber driver for two years. The 34-year-old Koreatown resident likes the flexibility of working for the ride-sharing service. Uber just finished recruiting 12,000 Los Angeles-area drivers and now the company is looking to hire 15,000 more. (Photo courtesy of Uber Technologies Inc.)

Uber Technologies Inc. recently reached its goal of recruiting 12,000 new drivers in the greater Los Angeles area and now the company is looking to hire 15,000 more.

The San Francisco-based ride-hailing service says its Work on Demand Initiative has enhanced economic opportunities for thousands of people throughout Southern California while also providing access to reliable transportation where it’s needed the most.

Those who are interested in becoming an Uber driver can get additional information at www.uber.com.

Uber drivers, referred to by the company as “driver-partners,” work as independent contractors. A portion of the company’s initial hiring campaign targeted inner city portions of Southern California’s Latino communities, ranging from South and East Los Angeles to Crenshaw and Pacoima.

Amanda Ashley has been an Uber driver for about two years and it’s had a big impact on her life.

“Before I worked for Uber I didn’t have a car and I was tired of doing random jobs,” the 34-year-old Koreatown resident said. “I used to do background work as an extra in films and TV, but that can be very long hours working at minimum wage and I had to bring three or four outfits along with me. This job stabilized me.”

Working for Uber, Ashley was able to buy a Honda Fit. And best of all, she says, her work schedule is flexible.

“The great thing is you are never late and you don’t have supervisors,” she said. “And if I get a ride that takes me over to the beach I’ll have lunch there. I can be at Santa Monica at 2 p.m. and West L.A. at 4 p.m. I probably do about 40 rides a week. They also offer different incentives on the weekends so you can earn a bonus. That can be an extra $35 to $75 a week.”

Uber has also worked out well for Francisco Quijivix. He was hired on as a driver last year while also working for ride-hailing competitor Lyft.

“A lot of people do this,” the 53-year-old Lawndale resident said when the company’s Work on Demand Initiative was launched in May of last year. “It’s great because it’s so flexible. You work but if you have to do errands or want to spend time with your family you can do that.”

Income depends on a variety of factors

The amount of money a driver earns depends on when and where they drive and on how many hours are logged each week. Most drivers work part-time for supplemental income, although others approach it as a full-time job.

“Many people drive 10 hours or less a week to supplement their income or to save up for a vacation or special event,” company spokeswoman Eva Behrend said. “Some might be chefs or artists and while they are pursuing their dream they can earn more money in their own community.”

L.A. drivers earn less than other cities

Statistics on the company’s website reveal that drivers in the Los Angeles area make average of $616 a week in net earnings. That’s lower than the $732 in net earnings drivers in San Francisco and Boston average in a given week and slightly below the $648 drivers in Chicago average each week.

Established in 2009 by founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, Uber currently employs about 147,000 drivers in California alone. The ride-hailing service, along with competitor Lyft, has been a disruptive factor to the nation’s transportation industry.

Many consumers have turned to Uber because its mobile app makes it quick and easy to schedule a ride — often at a lower price than a traditional taxi ride. Several taxi companies have folded as a result, with many drivers jumping over to Uber.

Company’s momentum comes with challenges

Figures released to Bloomberg show the ride-hailing service booked $20 billion in rides during 2016. That was more than double the amount from the previous year and its net revenue after drivers were paid $6.5 billion for the year. But Uber says it still lost $2.8 billion in 2016, excluding the sale of its China business to rival Didi Chuxing.

The company has also come under fire for alleged sexual harassment. In February, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler Rigetti claimed she was sexually harassed by a manager who was then allegedly protected from fallout by the company’s human resources team. Uber hired former Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the claims.

Kevin Smith handles business news and editing for the Southern California News Group, which includes 11 newspapers, websites and social media channels. He covers everything from employment, technology and housing to retail, corporate mergers and business-based apps. Kevin often writes stories that highlight the local impact of trends occurring nationwide. And the focus is always to shed light on why those issues matter to readers in Southern California.